


New Techniques

by HeavyHeartstrings



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Fluff, Humour, M/M, Romance, budding talent training, felix is an angry boi, sylvain is patient with him
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-10
Updated: 2019-09-10
Packaged: 2020-10-13 18:11:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,845
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20586836
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HeavyHeartstrings/pseuds/HeavyHeartstrings
Summary: Byleth changes Felix's and Sylvain's personal goals.





	New Techniques

**Author's Note:**

> Can't get enough of these two. That is all.

Initially, Felix is pleased to hear that the Professor schedules his lesson this week to be in new offensive training. It’s undeniably known by nearly everyone at the monastery that Byleth is a fierce fighter; She spent many years travelling alongside her father as a mercenary and in the battles he’s experienced alongside the Professor, Felix has witnessed her power firsthand many times. There is much to learn from her, so you could see why he is at the very least intrigued as to what they'd be practicing during their training session.

That is until he arrives to the classroom the day of, only to find Byleth sitting at her desk with a few stacks of books piled high next to her and her face buried in one. She looks up from the pages opened in front of her, greeting Felix with a nod but remaining expressionless as usual.

“Good morning Professor,” Felix says as he steps closer, eyeing the books curiously but not really paying them any mind.

“Felix,” she responds politely to him. “I see you’re dressed for the training grounds,” she comments plainly, staring at him and blinking.

He blinks, caught off guard and unsure of what she’s getting at. “You said my lesson today was offensive,” he responds, reminding her.

She taps her finger on the corner of a page and then closes the book shut lightly. “You’re right, I did,” she says, folding her hands atop of the cover. “But, you’re going to need a little bit of...prep before you get to the training grounds,” she explains.

Felix feels an instinctive frown come to his face. “What exactly am I learning?” He asks, cutting straight to the chase.

Then Byleth pushes the book towards him and he approaches the desk closer, reaching for it and flipping it around. As soon as his eyes scan the cover, they instinctively narrow slowly and then he looks back up to the Professor, expecting this to be a joke.

“You want me to learn black magic?” Felix asks with a look of distaste on his features.

“I believe you posses a great potential for it.” She responds, unphased by his reaction.

Felix almost rolls his eyes, setting the Introductory to Magic textbook back down of the desk rather carelessly. “Annette and Mercedes are both skilled in reason,” he challenges, crossing his arms over his chest. “I don’t see why I should have to learn it. My efforts have always been focused towards real weapons.”

“Real weapons?” Byleth asks curiously. “So, magic is fake to you?” She asks with a wave of her hand.

Felix scrunches his face in irritation and tries not to grit his teeth as he speaks. “You know what I mean.”

Byleth simply gives him an expressionless stare for a few seconds, still not bothered by his obvious change in attitude. “I see this of value to you in the future,” she explains easily. “It will take patience, but if you put the time and effort into this, I believe you will unlock an even stronger potential.”

“Don’t try and butter me up,” Felix retorts shortly. The side of Byleth’s mouth quirks upward and she stands up from her desk, walking around to the front and leaning against it. She picks up the book again, gesturing it towards him and Felix begrudgingly accepts it with a scowl set on his face now. “I’ve never needed to rely on magic as an offensive tactic. I don’t need it,” he continues to protest, even though he knows as this point it’s pretty much useless.

“You don’t _understand_ it,” Byleth corrects. “But you will come to. For now, you’re going to focus your training on developing your magic.” She instructs.

He really has to bite his tongue hard this time, crossing his arms and turning away frustratedly. “And who is going to teach me this exactly?” Felix asks skeptically. He’s never seen the Professor use dark magic in battle before, and it didn’t seem like she’d be of much use if she tried to instruct him.

“I know the basics,” she explains. _Of course she’s skilled in it_, Felix thinks bitterly as he rolls of his eyes. Dread is filling him by the second and he hasn’t even started training yet. It's because this is beginning to set in, without his control. “Once you’ve learned them, I’m going to arrange for you to train with other experienced mages.” Byleth continues.

He hears her footsteps approaching and doesn’t react until they pause and he knows she’s standing behind him. Reluctantly and with his arms still crossed defensively, Felix turns to stare at her.

“Fine,” he says after a moment of silence. It’s not like he can do anything else and it’s solidified even further when Byleth updates his file with his new goals. After she’s done writing, the Professor hands him the paper and upon scanning the parchment, Felix gets frustrated again and nearly crumples it and hauls it on the other side of the classroom. If he closes his eyes, he can see himself doing it right there, then walking out and saying _no way in hell am I-_

“Sorry… I’m late!” A voice calls from behind suddenly.

Felix blinks at the familiarity, turning around and seeing Sylvain standing in the doorway with his hands resting on his knees as he pants. His eyebrows furrow even further and he turns back around to question Byleth, who gives him an unwavering stare.

“Ah, I forgot to mention,” she adds, crossing her arms. “Sylvain will be doing the same as you. You two will train closely for the next three months to develop both of your magic skills.”

And then when Sylvain beams and says that he’s always wanted to learn magic, Felix gets even angrier than initially and feels like he’s too close to snapping. He storms out of the room without another word, ignoring Sylvain’s perplexed look and his calls of Felix’s name down the hallway.

Byleth tells the red-haired student to not worry about it for now and informs him what textbooks him and Felix will need for the next few weeks then fills him in on the details he missed.

* * *

Felix looks up towards the sound of knocking at his door with a sour expression, barking out to the person bugging him when he’s trying to study for this stupid certification tomorrow.

“It’s me Felix!” Sylvain’s voice calls from the other side of the door.

“What do you want? I’m busy right now!” The younger student yells back. He does not have time for Sylvain’s antics right now; Felix would never admit it out loud but he’s unsure if he’s going to pass this test tomorrow and it’s eating at him more than he thought it would.

Sylvain responds by just entering, smiling brightly at Felix and closing the door behind him. “I came to check in on you. You know, see how the studying is going.”

“You should be more concerned with yourself than me,” Felix bluffs, resting his elbows on the desk and staring down at his notes. “And I didn’t say you could come in.” He adds with a little annoyance.

Sylvain is clearly unphased by the way he enters even further, his footsteps approaching. “I know, but I didn’t feel like yelling at you from the hallway.” He answers casually.

Felix says nothing in response, choosing to simply pay Sylvain no attention and return to reading over his notes. The older student doesn’t seem to mind that he’s being flat out ignored, not disturbing Felix as he reads. It feels like every sentence he reads means nothing to him though and nothing is retained in his memory for more than a couple seconds. It’s only when Felix tries to read the same paragraph about fire magic three times only to not be able to remember anything about it that he drops his head in his hands and lets out an aggravated sound.

“This is so stupid!” Felix blurts out, slamming his book closed and standing up. He turns to face Sylvain, who is sitting in the edge of his bed with his forearms resting on his legs and staring at him rather passively as the younger student continues to get worked up. “I don’t know why the Professor wants me learning this, there’s no way I’d ever need magic on the battlefield!”

“That might be true,” Sylvain responds lightly, shrugging. “But isn’t it good to know in case you have to fight heavily armored enemies? That way, you’re not wasting your blade durability fighting them.”

Felix gives him scowl and huffs. That’s a valid point, but he doesn't plan to acknowledge that in any way. So, he crosses his arms and turns his head away from the older student. “I can’t believe you’re actually taking this seriously.”

“What?” Sylvain laughs a little, leaning back onto Felix's bed with his hands behind his head. The navy-haired teen scowls at Sylvain for acting so comfortable is _his_ bed. “Come on, I can take things seriously when the time calls for it," his friend insists.

Felix raises an eyebrow, looking at the teen skeptically. “And what makes this one of those times?” He asks.

“Well for starters, I’ve always thought magic was great. Remember that story about the travelling mage I used to love?” Sylvain recalls with a fondness in his voice; one that Felix doesn’t hear all that often anymore and frowns as he realizes it.

“Yea, I do.” He responds. “How could I forget with how much you prattled on about it as a kid?”

Sylvain laughs a little more and sits up, a big grin on his face. It’s a real one though, not those stupid flirt ones he pulls around women all the time.

“I knew you would! I’ve been looking for a copy around here, but I’ve explored all over town and can’t seem to find it…” Sylvain explains, trailing off quickly. He looks back to Felix and perks up again, continuing.

“Anyway, I always wanted to be like him. They say he struck down a fleet of ships at sea with his thunder magic! Can you imagine?” He exclaims.

It’s like Sylvain is a kid again in that moment, the way he’s all bubbly and excited about a story that was probably all an elaborate myth and nothing else. It’s strange though, because even though Felix has been so stressed and on edge he feels surprisingly calm as he observes Sylvain’s excitement.

He can’t really help the small smile that tugs on the side of his mouth. “Hmph. Unlikely,” he toys lightly.

“Aw, come on Felix!” Sylvain exclaims with a groan. “Magic is incredible and just think about the things we’ll be able to do once we pass the certification tomorrow!”

Then the younger student’s half-smile drops and he’s frowning again, glaring in the direction of his notes. For a minute there, it’s like he completely forgot about that.

The older student notices his sudden shift in attitude, standing up. “Hey, I know you’ve never had an interest in magic-“

“It’s not that!” Felix interrupts instinctively. He opens his mouth and halts it just as quick immediately after, pressing his lips together before he says something stupid.

“Well, then what is it?” Sylvain asks patiently, coming closer. He stops when he notices Felix tensing up even more, holding his hands up in surrender in front of him. Felix stares at him with a narrowed gaze, wishing that Sylvain would just leave him be and stop prying.

But he’s never been good at keeping things from the older student, even if in recent years Felix became a lot more isolated. With a quiet sigh, he drops his arms to his sides and resigns himself to telling the truth.

“I’ve never been good with magic,” he mutters, looking to the ground. “Anytime I’ve ever tried to learn it, it’s always resulted in failure.”

“I never knew that,” Sylvain comments quietly.

“Well, it’s not like I’m eager to tell you about all the times I suck!” Felix bites back defensively.

Sylvain just gives him another stupidly patient smile, stepping closer. Felix doesn’t react this time, watching the older student pause in front of him and lay a hand on his shoulder.

“Felix, you’re blowing this way out of proportion. It’s not like the Professor is asking you to become a Warlock or anything; she just wants you to learn the basics so you can branch your combat techniques out.”

“I can’t even grasp the basics, you idiot! How am I supposed to do even that?”

Sylvain pulls his hand back, giving the teen a thoughtful look for a moment. “Well, there’s no need for the name calling now,” he mumbles.

Felix sighs and closes his eyes again, letting his shoulders fall in defeat. At this point, Felix thinks it’s about time to accept defeat and go to sleep rather than sacrifice sleep on something he knows he's going to fail. Then he hears Sylvain shuffling and looks towards the older student curiously. He’s got Felix’s notes and the Introduction to Magic textbook in his arms and is walking back to the bed.

“What are you doing?” Felix asks, watching Sylvain sit cross legged atop his bed and starts laying the notes down. Sylvain gives him a small, encouraging smile and pats down on the mattress.

“Come on, we’re gonna study this all night if we have to. I’m not letting you walk out of that door until you know you’re going to pass.” Sylvain proclaims.

“Sylvain-“ Felix starts.

“I’m serious! I’m not leaving and neither are you. You can do this Felix, just let me try and help okay?”

A sudden thought strikes Felix as he walks towards his bed with a simple nod in response and sits on his bed with his back against the wall and Sylvain opens the textbook. Felix tries to keep his eyes focused on the pages but ends up looking towards Sylvain as he says something about the magic triad.

He’s always been there to help when Felix needs it. And he never even has to ask; Sylvain just somehow seems to always know and does whatever it takes to make everything okay again. Even if he was a slacker and a good-for-nothing skirtchaser at times, he’s dependable like no other to Felix.

That thought makes something tight ball in his chest and Felix swallows it down apprehensively. It just sinks in his stomach and stays there all night as he studies with Sylvain though, making itself much more noticeable whenever Sylvain encourages or praises him for getting something right. It’s hard to ignore, but Felix thinks he does a good job of it.

And when they’ve finally deemed Felix ready to write the test, the early pale hues of sunrise are beginning to approach in the distance on the horizon. There are multiple burned out candles in Felix’s room, the two sneaking out at one point to swipe more from the cathedral when Felix ran out. Sylvain said it would be a good way to get a study break and Felix only went because he needed to be able to read his notes if he wanted to pass. After almost getting caught by guards twice and running around the monastery trying to keep their nervous laughter at the ridiculousness of it all quiet, they managed to return undetected and finish up studying.

The two of them are exhausted to say the least as they walk into the classroom later that morning to write their certifications. Felix knows he has large, dark bags around his eyes and Sylvain’s hair is sticking out wildly out of place. Byleth gives them both blank stares but says nothing as she hands the two beginner seals to them and watches the two students open them to begin writing their tests.

Felix is too tired to be nervous. Having Sylvain’s presence nearby is surprisingly comforting and takes away what little anxiety is left. Sylvain finishes first and after he’s given the test to the Professor he gives Felix an encouraging thumbs up as he walks by. Felix tries to offer a weak smile in return but it probably comes out more like a pained expression judging by the way Sylvain purses his lips, trying not to laugh a little. Felix is concentrated and ignores him, feeling nearly delirious by the time he finishes and hands the test in to Byleth without a word. She nods at him and informs him that he should know the results by the end of the day. Felix is pretty sure he mumbles something distinguishable in response as he exits the classroom.

Sylvain is waiting for him outside the door, arms crossed and dozing off against the wall. The sound of the door closing snaps him awake and he jumps a little, focusing of Felix quickly. “Oh! You’re done, how did it go?” He asks.

“Fine,” Felix mumbles before yawning and not bothering to cover it. He really means it.

Sylvain smiles a bit. “Yea?” He double checks, just to be sure.

Felix rolls his eyes, feeling a little flustered at being fussed over. “Yes. Now come on, we need sleep after all that.”

Sylvain seems to warm up a little at hearing the words and Felix might just be starting to see things but he thinks the older student is flushed red a little as he smiles at him. “I couldn’t agree more.” He responds, wrapping an arm around his friend loosely and beginning to walk back to their rooms. “Chores for the day can wait.”

When they arrive to the hallway and Sylvain starts to enter his room after saying a quick goodbye to Felix, the younger student calls to him in a rush before he leaves. Sylvain looks up curiously and Felix almost starts giggling at how wild his hair looks right now. How did that even happen?

_Goddess, I am tired,_ he thinks to himself but catches the tired reflex. Felix clears his throat and then blinks, looking to the side. “I just wanted to say thank you. You didn’t have to…” he trails off lamely. “You didn’t have to help me.”

Sylvain gives him a goofy grin, looking as worn out as Felix feels. “Come on, you know I’m always going to be there for you. Just like you are for me.”

The navy-haired teen swallows thickly, still unable to meet the older student’s eyes. He can feel his face heating up and turns away quickly to start walking back to his room before Sylvain notices.

They both pass. Sylvain is elated and Felix is relieved. They reward themselves with a much-needed second nap that afternoon after Felix finds Sylvain sleeping in a pile of hay in the stable. At first he chastises Sylvain for slacking, that is until the older student somehow talks him into testing out how comfy the hay really is and he ends up falling asleep with him there.

* * *

The next step is learning and casting spells. Byleth becomes more involved in their training, combining their individual lessons together so that they can put more time towards developing the two student’s magic in combat.

It’s all easy in theory when it’s explained out loud to him. But when it comes to actually stepping foot on the training grounds that Felix has spent countless hours in, he can’t help but feel rather intimidated without his sword. Sylvain bumps him lightly as they walk next to each other, probably sensing his discomfort in that strange sixth sense way. Felix flinches a little, but tells Sylvain he was just thinking and drops the subject.

At the end of their first day, Sylvain successfully learns a fire spell. His eyes light up with glee when he finally casts the spell and a ball of fire is launched towards the practice target and takes it down with a crashing noise. Felix watches the flames licking at the remains of the target as they crumble to the ground, thinking that’s just about how he’s feeling right now. He’s wasted at least two hours out here chanting spells and trying to summon magic only to come up short.

Sylvain tells him afterwards that it’s nothing to get upset over and that he’ll pick up a new spell in no time. Feeling patronized, Felix swats him away and holes himself in his room for the evening.

They meet twice in the following week with the Professor to train more. Sylvain has pretty much fully developed his fire spell and Felix is still unable to produce a single flicker of magic. He really tries to not let it deter him from continuing to work hard as he always does, but as time passes and no results are produced, Felix gets more and more frustrated.

Sylvain and the Professor don’t give up on him even as his temper gets out of hand numerous times in his resentment at failing. Byleth makes a comment about having to push back some of their lessons because they aren't making progress quickly enough. Of course she doesn't say it to single Felix out, but he takes it that way and trains vigorously every day. Sylvain even volunteers extra time to practice with him, but it makes Felix feel rather helpless and he ends up yelling obscenities at the older student to cope with his inability to grasp the element. 

While he’s yelling at Sylvain and saying awful things he really doesn’t mean- “You stupid, deadbeat!” and Felix would come to apologize for later, “You’re no help at all! Absolutely useless.”- the older student remains unchanged, glaring back at Felix.

“Again Felix!” Sylvain commands back at him, his eyebrows furrowed in anger.

Felix is seeing red now and thrusts his arm out towards Sylvain as he roars out the spell for the umpteenth time.

And to his and Sylvain’s surprises, a bolt of lightning shoots from Felix’s hand towards the older student, who yelps out and is not quick enough to dodge it. His body seizes up for a moment as the electric current travels through his body, tensing all of his muscles up painfully and making Sylvain groan in pain. Then he falls to his knees moments later and Felix is running towards him in a panic.

“Sylvain!” The younger student cries out as he drops down next to the redhead with a rough landing. He places a hand on Sylvain’s shoulder and he looks up to Felix with a weary smile.

“I knew…you’d get it,” the older student says a little breathlessly.

Felix exhales in relief and drops his head for a moment, trying to ignore that annoyingly familiar pit in his stomach with the way Sylvain’s cinnamon eyes gaze at him tenderly.

* * *

It’s a little over a month later in the middle of the night when Felix is awakened with a sharp jolt as the sound of knocking on his door repeats itself a few times. He sits up in a haze, blinking and looking around in confusion before rising and stalking towards his door. He jerks it open only to be met with Sylvain staring at him a bright grin and dressed in a hooded cloak.

Before he can even get a word out, the older student is pulling him down the hallway, saying that they need to go practice right away despite the fact that the younger student is dressed in loose pants and a shirt. Felix isn’t really sure if this is a dream or not, feeling more inclined to believe it is as things continue. Sure, Sylvain has taken a lot more interest in training ever since they started studying magic, but does he know how goddamn late it is? And why is he wearing a cloak?

The navy-haired student digs his heels into the ground right before Sylvain opens the door to the exit of the hallway. He’s finally aware enough to realize this is in fact reality and scowls at the older teen.

“What the hell is going on Sylvain?” He bites out.

Sylvain just thrusts a pair of boots and a similar cloak like he’s wearing into Felix’s hands and opens the door slowly, checking to make sure that no one is in the immediate area before whispering for the younger student to follow behind quickly. He’s not sure why he does it (honestly, Felix isn’t sure why he puts up with Sylvain at all sometimes), but he begrudgingly ties the cloak around his shoulders and puts the boots on, following after Sylvain moments later.

It’s raining out, and Felix hears thunder in the distance every now and again. The two of them have to keep quiet if they’re going to get around without being caught, but the weather creates a big distraction thankfully. When they start off in the opposite direction of the training grounds, Felix becomes impatient and hisses Sylvain’s name quietly, demanding for him to explain himself.

“Just keep quiet! I’ll explain everything when we’re there,” Sylvain responds quietly, continuing to check around them every so often as he walks. They end up sneaking out of the monastery through an exit Felix never knew existed and isn’t sure how Sylvain found out about it either.

Felix speaks up immediately, refusing to cross the threshold outside out the monastery as Sylvain walks ahead of him through the exit. “I’m not going anywhere until you tell me what’s going on,” the younger student protests.

“You trust me, don’t you?” Sylvain asks him out of the blue.

Felix crosses his arms over his chest, narrowing his eyes at the older teen. “Yes,” he mutters bitterly. More than anyone, but you wouldn’t hear him say that out loud and especially to his face.

“Then come on,” he insists with a wave of his hand.

“Why are you being so secretive about this!?” Felix pesters as he reluctantly begins following after the older teen.

He can practically see the teasing expression on his face as Sylvain continues and it makes Felix frown tiredly, regretting leaving his bed.

“Stop being so impatient!” Sylvain eases. “You’ll know soon enough.”

Felix is about to go mad and resigns himself to grumbling quietly about stabbing redheaded idiots who dragged their friends out of bed in the early hours of morning to go train while it’s storming outside.

It’s only when they’ve come to the top of a large hill over an open field of grass and night sky around them that Sylvain stops and turns around to face Felix. He’s pretty much soaked through his cloak, but doesn’t seem to be bothered in the slightest by it.

“I think I’ve figured out a way to improve your thunder spells,” the older student finally reveals, giving Felix an eager smile. He watches Sylvain turn his head upwards as a bolt of lightning strikes the field in the distance. It’s true that though Felix finally managed to cast thunder spells, the frequency is which he’s able to do it is still quite low. Although he’s improved to the point where he doesn’t need to verbalize his spells, his magic isn’t the strongest he knows it can be. Lately he’s hit a plateau again and has had no luck getting more powerful.

Seconds later thunder rumbles in the distance. “You think…training in a thunderstorm will make me more powerful!?” Felix asks doubtfully, wiping a wet strand of hair from his forehead.

Sylvain shrugs honestly, shaking his head. “I know it sounds crazy, but I read in a book in the library that suggested training in the same environment as your element will heighten your magic!” He suggests.

Felix runs his hand along his drenched face, shaking it back and forth. “Did you ever think that maybe I’ll get struck by lightning this way!? Real lightning and magic are different!” He barks back.

Sylvain opens his mouth to reply, but then pauses and lets his lips close after a moment and shakes his head. “No, I actually didn’t.” He mumbles sheepishly.

“I can’t believe I followed you out here for something so stupid,” Felix grits out, beginning to walk back in the direction of the monastery.

“Felix! Come on, you’ll be just fine,” Sylvain insists, grabbing his arm and halting him.

Felix shakes him off, turning around to glare at him. “This is insane,” he retorts. Though it's not exactly a denial.

“Crazier things have been done!” The red-haired teen insists. “Just try one spell and if nothing happens, then at least we can say we tried. Don’t you want to get stronger?”

The instinctive answer is _of course_. That’s one of the biggest things Felix has ever wanted in his life; to get stronger and fight. Of course, Sylvain knows the things to say to get him to follow him into the pouring rain in the dead of night and muster up the courage to cast thunder spells during a storm. He knows Felix's thirst, almost desperation for strength. Who else would be able to do such a thing to him? Felix can’t think of anyone else and it’s annoying but that doesn’t make it any less true.

The younger student finally gives in and decides to just go with it. He’s already out here in the middle of the night soaked; might as well do what Sylvain planned for him even if it is ridiculous. He unties his cloak and tosses it to the ground, pushing his bangs out of his face and taking a deep breath as he adjusts his stance, bending his knees a bit and bringing his hands in front of his chest like he's about to fight.

Felix closes his eyes and listens to the sounds of the rain pouring all around him. He knows Sylvain is standing nearby, but in this moment Felix lets himself be consumed by the flashes of lightning he can see behind closed eyes and the cracks of thunder he hears and could have easily forgotten about him.

Then in a slow movement, Felix rotates his hands in opposite directions to gather his magic. He feels a couple sparks crackle in his fists and it almost breaks his concentration in surprise, but he continues to keep focus, breathing steadily. It’s strange, but maybe Sylvain is on to something with his theory he read; Felix immediately feels a surge of magic envelop him at once, then thrusts his right hand forward palm facing outward and opens his eyes to watch a huge discharge of lightning leave his hand.

He stares at the space the spell was casted and then down at his hand, before looking up to see Sylvain clapping loudly over the rain. “That was amazing!” He chants, voice full of delight.

Felix breathes heavily, nodding his head and feeling a smile start to grow. He gets a little more enthusiastic, turning back around and casting a couple more thunder spells. Each one of them sounds off powerfully as they are launched into the night sky, illuminating it momentarily with each strike.

Felix quickly becomes thrilled with it, concentrating even more of the magic into fist fists again. He takes another deep breath and roars loudly as he thrusts his arm into the air. As the lightning is discharged from his hand, a large group of golden circles encapsulate Felix’s body all around and above his hand, glowing around him. The spell cracks around the field as if a bolt of lightning was shot in reverse and Felix stares again in awe, almost unable to believe that he just did that.

Then he hears Sylvain approaching and turns around just as the older student’s arms are wrapped tightly around him. Sylvain’s voice is close to his ear as he speaks excitedly. “I bet you could really strike down a fleet with that kind power.”

Felix laughs a little, rolling his eyes as his chin rests on the older student’s shoulder and hugs back. He's soaked, cold and probably going to catch a cold, but he's also high in the sky with adrenaline pumping through his veins at this newfound power, all thanks to Sylvain. “Back to that stupid story again, huh?”

Sylvain pulls away enough to look at Felix up close and the younger student becomes aware of their proximity, tensing up a little. “Oh come on, can you blame me? It just looked like you struck the heavens.”

Feeling his face fluster a little, Felix glances to the side. “You’re being dramatic,” he says.

One of Sylvain’s hands tightens around him, making the navy-haired student look at him again. “I’m serious. I don’t ever think I’ll ever forget what that looked like.” He says lowly, cinnamon eyes staring straight through Felix.

“I couldn’t have done it without you,” The younger student blurts out and then wishes he could have taken it back right after the words leave his mouth. Until he sees the way Sylvain smiles tenderly and- did he just shift a little closer? Felix then wonders if it’s _him_ who’s moving closer to Sylvain, but before anything can happen a crack of thunder pierces the sky and causes them to both jump in surprise, breaking away from each other.

“We should get back to the monastery,” Felix mumbles quietly, picking up his dripping cloak and starting back towards the large estate.

“Right,” Sylvain’s voice calls from behind, though Felix thinks it sounds rather dull and a little disappointed.

* * *

It’s been a couple days since Felix and Sylvain snuck out together and the younger student feels like he’s in a weird place. He still trains with Sylvain regularly like he’s been doing for the past couple of months, but now there’s something unaddressed between them, lingering in the air and remaining untouched even though they both know it’s there. It feels weird, but Felix thinks he’s the only one bothered by it as Sylvain remains pretty much the same.

And Felix feels a little guilty, because he doesn’t want to start avoiding Sylvain or anything but anytime they spar all he can think about is how close their faces were up on the hill together and how the older student never seemed to look that way before. What way? Well, the way that makes Felix’s heart beat a little quicker and he becomes aware of that insufferable knot in his stomach.

He ends up wandering into town one day on his day off from class, telling himself that it’s a good excuse to look for new weapons in the market. If you were to follow Felix though, you’d notice that he never even set foot into a single blacksmith or weapon shop and see that he travelled among the streets looking at various merchant’s stands before finally locating what he wants.

Which leads to Felix standing outside of Sylvain’s bedroom door that night, clutching the gift so tightly in his hands that his knuckles are turning white and he starts to think that his feet will leave a permanent imprint in the floor. He stands there so long that Dimitri comes by and sees him, staring at the navy-haired student curiously as he passes by.

He notices the book and perks up. “Oh, I used to love that book as a child,” he comments.

“I couldn’t care less right now. Get lost, boar Prince!” Felix hisses at him, glaring with hostility and pitted nervousness inside of him. Dimitri blinks in surprise and keeps his head low as he retreats into his room for the night and Felix sighs with a crease between his eyebrows, weighing up if this was even a good idea.

Letting himself get worked up by someone like Sylvain of all people feels ridiculous though and Felix decides on the spot that he has to curb whatever this thing is. So, he turns back to the door and knocks with a little more force than necessary, trying not to count the seconds that pass and nothing happens.

What feels like a painstaking eternity was really about fifteen seconds, then the door opened to reveal Sylvain who perks up in surprise at the sight of him. “Hey! I was just going to come look for you-“

Felix cuts him off by shoving the book against the older student’s chest with a low thump and immediately starts down the hallway after it’s passed off.

“Felix! Wait!” Sylvain calls, chasing after him and running in front of the navy-haired teen to stop him. Felix knows his whole face is red and can’t look Sylvain in the eyes.

“Is this for me? Where did you even find a copy?” Sylvain asks with glee, staring down at the cover. He’s got that warm look in his eyes again, which makes Felix itch out to grab him and pull the redhead close again like before-

“In the market!” Felix grits out frustratedly. The pit in his stomach has coiled around itself into something so unbearable, the younger student wants to do nothing more than run away in this moment. It's unlike him to think so cowardly, but this isn't exactly a problem that can be solved with his sword. 

But Sylvain is still patient with him, opening up the book and looking down at the lines of text. “I can’t believe you found it, this is incredible Felix,” he says, looking up to meet the navy-haired teen’s dark eyes. “But why?”

“Do I need a reason?” Felix snaps, crossing his arms. Sylvain just cocks his head to the side and gives him a knowing smile.

“Come on, I actually have something for you too,” he says, using his free hand to grab Felix’s wrist and bringing him to his room. When they’re inside, Sylvain sets the book down on his desk and turns his attention to a large piece of folded cloth sitting on his bed. Felix’s gaze trails towards it and after nothing is said, he looks toward the red-haired teen curiously.

“Go on then,” Sylvain says, gesturing to the bed.

Felix raises an eyebrow, but walks towards the bed and carefully unfolds the cloth only to see the gleaming curves of a Levin Sword reflecting up at him. The navy-haired student turns around sharply, staring at Sylvain in disbelief before sliding his fingers under the sword gently to pick it up and examine it closer.

“A congratulation gift of sorts, for all your training,” Sylvain says with his hands stuffed into his pockets and he smiles sheepishly. He removes them and steps towards Felix until he’s in front of him and they’re both looking at the blade in the younger student's hands. “I thought it was perfect for you.”

“It is,” Felix says automatically. He looks to Sylvain after he says it, feeling bashful again but liking the way the older teen’s eyes light up happily. That urge is back and Felix is quickly losing the battle as his eyes flicker down to Sylvain’s lips for a split second. 

Then he can’t help it anymore. “Sylvain-“ he starts, but is cut off when the redhead leans down and places a chaste kiss on his lips. There’s a spark that no thunder spell could compare to running through Felix’s blood at the contact and his grip on the Levin Sword tightens. A burst of cracks and pops startles them apart and the two boys look down at the sword for a moment, then back at each other in surprise.

The older teen laughs lightly, a rose flush glowing on his cheeks and smiling like an idiot.“Sorry, I’ve been wanting to do that for some time.” 

Felix looks down and bites his lip, shaking his head. “Don’t apologize.” He manages to murmur out and then sets the sword down on the bed before he shocks Sylvain accidentally.

Then Sylvain’s hand is around his waist and pulling Felix close again until their foreheads bump lightly. Sylvain laughs quietly while Felix frowns a little, glaring at the teasing glint in the older teen’s eyes.

“So, what’s my gift for then?” Sylvain asks again, not letting this one go clearly.

Felix huffs, pulling away to bury his forehead into Sylvain’s shoulder as his face burns. “You know why,” he muffles into his shirt.

“I wanna hear you say it though,” Sylvain pleads, his hand squeezing a little tighter for a moment.

It makes the navy-haired student groan a little, but he lifts his head enough to stare at Sylvain as he speaks hastily. “For helping me with my magic. Without you, I would have never been able to-“

He’s interrupted again by another kiss, but this time frowns a little when the older teen pulls away. “I wasn’t finished.” He says.

“Got too excited,” Sylvain says with a shrug, leaning down to kiss him again. Felix just meets him halfway, deciding that Sylvain has probably known all along about his feelings seeing as how he’s always read the younger student like an open book.

But he’s okay with it.

In fact, you might say he loves it.


End file.
